An Auburn citizen raised concerns about smoke from the fires used to clear land for the new Auburn High School at the June 2 City Council meeting.
Hugh O'Donnell, who lives on Katie Lane near the planned site of the new school, said smoke from the burn piles is filling his neighborhood, making it hard to live and work there.
"We were actually covered by smoke for the duration of a day," O'Donnell said. "I work from home, and I was actually at the point where I was about to vacate my property, and my workplace, because I was unable to breathe any further because of the level of smoke in the area."
O'Donnell said smoke damage would devastate him because he would have to dispose of all of his affected belongings, including clothes and furniture.
O'Donnell said he called the fire department at least six times to report violations of the burn permit, including leaving the fires unattended overnight.
"Chief Lankford and the Auburn Fire Department allowed these fires to continue after multiple notices that the fires were noncompliant with the burn permit," O'Donnell said.
O'Donnell said the burn permit was canceled after three weeks of complaints, but he is worried because the fire department is planning to reinstate the burn permits.
Bill James, public safety director, admitted a lack of monitoring at the site, though he said they would be more careful in monitoring new burn permits. James said they would issue permits to the contractor on a daily basis, weather permitting.
"I will admit that it did not have the appropriate oversight when they had the permit before," James said, "and I have instructed the fire chief that if we do renew their permit it is going to be on a daily basis and it will be after we go out there and look ... if it starts smoking up the neighborhoods, they will have to put it out and they will not be issued another permit."
The contractor cannot move the materials offsite to burn them, according to James. The only other feasible option is to grind them, which is expensive, according to Ward 8 Councilman Tommy Dawson.
"Everyone should give them a chance," Dawson said.
Mayor Bill Ham said the City Council would not start reviewing burn permits because the people who review the permits are qualified to do so, and the Council reviewing the permits would "put the whole community in a tailspin."
O'Donnell said other options, such as grinding should be evaluated.
"I think for a $78 million project, there is enough funds to be able to evaluate at least the cost-benefit of grinding up or transporting the wood versus burning it, for the environmental effects and the effects upon the neighbors," O'Donnell said.
In other Council news:
- Several tracts of land were eased over to the City of Auburn for the North Donahue Drive widening project.
- Lee Dempsey was named to the Indian Pines Recreation Authority. Dempsey has served two previous terms.
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